DESCRIPTION

Fossombrone is a small town originated during the Roman period that is located in the Middle Valley of Metauro. It is along the old Flaminia road, between plane and hill, just in the point where the valley narrows.”Forum Sempronii” was destroyed during barbarian invasions, nowadays evidences of the past reappear in a wide archeological site that is very interesting. The upper part of the town is called “Cittadella”, and it is composed of monumental buildings, ruins, and what remains of the so-called “Malatesta-Montefeltro” fortress. In the lower part of the town there is the main road, which is characterized by wonderful buildings and churches. After crossing the river of Metauro, which actually runs along the town, and going through the impressive arched bridge, there is the “New Fossombrone, i.e. the part of the town that was built more recently. From the new part of the town it is possible to reach the convent and the church of Annunziata and the impressive monastery of Capuchins, one of the first buildings built by them and located at 329 m above sea level. 

MONUMENTS - ARTWORKS - TOWNS AND VILLAGES

Ogni periodo storico e di conseguenza artistico ha lasciato la sua testimonianza nel tessuto urbano e negli edifici che compongono Fossombrone. Le origni romane sono tangibili facendo visita al parco archeologico in loc. San Martino del Piano mentre salendo fino all’agglomerato di Torricella in posizione un po decentrata rispetto al centro storico, si può fare una passeggiata alla scoperta di un piccolo nucleo di origine medievale, oggi finemente ristrutturato, con tanto di torrione a pianta quadrangolare a chiusura dell’antica recinzione di mura.

Each historical and artistic period left its mark in urban text and buildings that set up Fossombrone. It is possible to note Roman origins visiting the archeological site in San Martino del Piano. In Torricella (a bit far from the Old Town) it is possible to visit a small part originated in the Middle Ages, which was renovated. It is characterized by a great tower with quadrangular map that closes the old enclosure walls.

The municipality of Fossombrone is composed of different small villages. For example, climbing the “Colle dei Cappuccini” it is possible to reach Montalto Tarugo, where there are ruins of a fifteenth century fortress attributable to Francesco di Giorgio Martini, a military architect who left many art works all over the Montefeltro. This small town is composed of stone houses that surround a small church with coat of arms coming from the rock above.

The village of Caspessa, located on the top of a hill and surrounded by wonderful views, is composed of a small square, two rows of houses and a church dedicated to St. Michele Arcangelo. The village of St. Cristoforo dei Valli rises around a Church with a tower partially collapsed and it is located in the southern side of the Cesane Mountain.   

Churches represent for each town real sources of art. In Fossombrone it is possible to visit the Cathedral characterized by a wide tripartite façade with pilasters and three nave interior in neoclassic style whose floor contains a sundial traced by the mathematician Sempronio Pace; the church of St. Francesco built between 1608 and 1613 as thanksgiving for Federico Ubaldo birth, which is characterized by single nave with three chapels on each side marked by an interior very rich of stuccos, statues, frames, decorations in Baroque style; the church of St. Agostino built in 1300 but renovated at the beginning of the nineteenth century in neoclassic style and characterized by sandstone gate, the coat of arms of Malatesta, single front nave and a wonderful Nativity made by the Zuccari brothers as altarpiece.

For paintings lovers and not, it is interesting to visit the “Casa Museo Quadreria Cesarini” (Museum) of Fossombrone, which is composed of 21 rooms with many paintings, but also sculptures, drawings, and things belonged to the notary Cesarini, who was a real art lover. Among art works exhibited in the museum there are those made by Giorgio Morandi, Achille Funi, Marino Marini, Francesco Messina, Gino Severini. Besides, two rooms are totally dedicated to Anselmo Bucci. The building renovated very well after 1988 contains chinaware, art pottery, golden frames, frescos, oriental carpets and represents the evidence of an important historical period.

 The Ducal Palace of Fossombrone, known as  “Corte Alta”, houses the Art Gallery and the Civic Museum. The Civic Museum was completely reorganized after 1997 and it houses many remains that show the evolution of a population that used to live in this part of Montefeltro from Prehistoric time to the Roman period, thanks to a section recently set up and dedicated to Forum Sempronii life during Late Ancient Age and Early Middle Age. On the other hand, the Art Gallery houses some art works that show local painting developments from the end of the sixteenth century to nineteenth century, thanks to a large amount of documents about the activity of Giovan Francesco Guerrieri (1589 – 1657), one of the most important members of the naturalism of Caravaggio.

Walking along the main road of Fossombrone you can admire many palaces, including the Municipal Palace of the sixteenth century, the Episcopal Palace (fifteenth century), Seta-Cattabeni Palace (sixteenth century), the Corte Rossa and the Corte Bassa (sixteenth century). 

NATURE AND LANDSCAPE

Fossombrone (like the entire Montefeltro) is in a perfect position from the point of view concerning landscape, but also richness of nature. For this reason it is possible to perform many outdoor activities. To the left part of the Metauro River, on a small plateau about 600 m above sea level overlooking the Cittadella, there is the “Pineta delle Cesane” (pinewood) where there is also the nursery of forest service. Planting of pinewood started in 1916 thanks to Austrian prisoners of war, and over the decades has been continued through important reforestation works, so that its surface has been extended for several miles in the direction of Urbino. Here it is possible to go trekking, also thanks to the help of expert guides, among different paths traced by the CAI discovering local fauna and flora, or following proper paths for mountain bike, or at last enjoying very relaxing ridings.

Part of the “Gola del Furlo” and its Nature Reserve belong (although they are a bit far) to the Municipality of Fossombrone. Here it is possible to perform some activities to discover this massive rock eroded inside the slow flow of the river and spot the rare species of birds that nest here, including the Golden Eagle.

It is also interesting to participate to routes that include the visit to urban centers, ruins, fortresses and monasteries scattered in the Municipality of Fossombrone, such as Torricella, Montalto, Caspessa, Colle dei Cappuccini and so on.